Birthday Gift
by HGranger89
Summary: TWO-SHOT: Hermione Granger is convinced her long-time boyfriend will finally propose on her birthday. Her friends are there to pick up the pieces when things don't go the way she planned. Ron bashing. Updated Jan 9, 2019: Severus Snape is having the best birthday of his life. SSHG. Rated M for language
1. Chapter 1

This little one-shot popped into my head today on my lunch break in honour of Hermione's birthday. I hope you like it.

* * *

Hermione Granger cast a tempus charm. Noting that it was now half 5 in the afternoon, she tidied up her desk, ready to leave for the day. Grabbing the small black leather handbag that had replaced her beaded bag nearly ten years ago, she ran to nondescript employee washroom to change out of her work robes and into a small black cocktail dress that hugged all of her curves and hid the parts of her she perceived to be flawed. She applied a light coat of pink lip gloss and added a bit more mascara than was usual, before hopping up and down on one foot as she attempted to put on her strappy, silver high heeled shoes without actually having to sit on the loo. Rather than tame her mane of hair after a day working in the lab, she opted for a neat chignon at the nape of her neck.

Satisfied with her appearance, Hermione gazed into the full-sized mirror and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles in her dress. She gave her reflection a beaming smile. She looked fabulous if she did say so herself, the perfect outfit to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday. Adding to her excitement, she was sure that tonight would be the night her long-time boyfriend, Ronald Weasley finally proposed to her. They had dated on and off the last ten years, having taken an extended break in the last year of Hermione's Arithmancy Mastery as she tried to decide if she would go abroad to teach at Beauxbatons or take up a position with the Ministry of Magic. The day she accepted a job as an Unspeakable and Arithmancy Mistress for the Department of Mysteries, Ron had shown up at her flat with a bouquet of peonies, and they had been together for the last five years.

Scurrying out of the washroom, Hermione teetered precariously on her ridiculously high heels, heading for the floo atrium. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she slammed into the chest of a colleague. As she felt ready to topple in her too tall shoes, firm, muscular arms wrapped themselves around her waist to stabilise her. In front of her face, she spotted a line of dark black buttons on black fabric, the smell of herbs, spices, sandalwood and a hint of menthol tobacco. She smiled against the man's chest and looked up at her lab partner for the last five years, and one of her best friends, Severus Snape.

"Thank you, Severus," she said breathlessly.

Severus stepped back as far as his arms would extend, while still maintaining contact with her small waist. Looking her up and down as if appraising her he gave her a little smirk, and she felt her stomach flutter as his dark gaze. _'You love Ron Hermione, you're getting engaged tonight … probably. Is Severus looking at you like the way you hope Ron will? Yes. That means it will work; you look smoking today,'_ she told herself.

"I know I said it earlier today, but Happy Birthday Granger. Just don't decapitate yourself on those ridiculous things pretending to be shoes before you arrive at whatever big party you have planned."

She swotted him playfully before casting her eyes downward, "No big party. Just dinner with Harry, Ginny and Ron. I would have invited you of course, but …"

He held up his hand to stop her. "Mia, I understand completely. You don't have to explain why you didn't invite me. Besides, I believe I got to spend lunch with you, alone."

And understand he did. With such an intimate gathering of just the Golden Trio Ginevra Potter, his appearance at the table would not only make him a fifth wheel but leave Hermione feeling uncomfortable. While he had buried the past with Ginevra and Potter years previously, Ronald Weasley still held Snape in contempt, vocally berating him and lamenting the fact that his significant other was forced to work with 'the Greasy Git'. When Hermione and Severus became friends, Ronald almost ended their relationship, so now Hermione pretended it didn't exist and that she and Snape were nothing more than colleagues. Severus didn't come to Hermione's small gatherings, and at larger ministry or Order events, they didn't socialise very much, talking in different circles to avoid Weasley's ire.

Severus couldn't understand why a woman as intelligent and beautiful as Hermione Granger stayed with an oaf like Ron Weasley. It was telling to Severus that after ten years the dunderhead still hadn't proposed. Any other man with half a brain would have snapped Hermione Granger up and treated her like the Queen she was ages ago. While he knew Hermione hoped tonight would be the night, Severus remained silently sceptical for his friend.

Spotting Potter heading towards them, Severus withdrew his touch from Hermione's person. She immediately felt the loss and stepped closer, cupping his left cheek with her hand and stepping on her tiptoes to kiss his right cheek lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for always understanding and being my friend anyway."

He gave her a small, shy smile in response, "I will always be your friend Mia."

She stepped back, and Harry announced himself. "Happy Birthday 'Mione! We better get to the restaurant, Ginny made the reservation and is likely waiting for us. Is Ron meeting us there?" he asked as he wrapped her into a big hug, "You look amazing by the way!"

"Thank you, Harry," she beamed at him, "Ron is meeting us there after work. I left him a note in the bathroom to remind him this morning before I came to work early this morning."

The Boy-Who-Lived then looked up at his former Potions Professor, turned colleague and good acquaintance. "Good afternoon sir. I trust you're well," he said politely.

"Very well Mr Potter, thank you. Hermione just completed a new batch of calculations on the 24-hour polyjuice we're testing. I hope to start brewing next week after we've reviewed everything. I think it will be invaluable to your department."

"If you two can get a 24-hour polyjuice developed and patented, my Gods, I'll stockpile. That would be bloody useful for the Auror Corps."

"Eloquent as always Potter. I heard that Ginevra is with child again?"

Harry blushed at the snide remark, then beamed at his impending child, "Yes! It's a boy. Jamie hasn't quite figured out what's happening yet, but that little trouble-maker is in for an eye-opening."

"Well, given who is named for, I don't know what else you expected," Hermione inserted cheekily.

"Indeed," sneered Snape. He had interacted with James Sirius Potter in the past, and for whatever reason, the little brat loved to climb all over him, almost as if he knew his mere existence was taunting Severus.

"Well you know sir, we were brainstorming baby names and realised we wanted our next child to be less of a troublemaker and more snarky, meddling and brilliant. Ginny suggested the name, Albus Severus."

Severus blanched, knowing Ginevra Potter, she'd probably do it to fuck with him. "Potter, if you name your spawn after me, I will hex you into next year."

"Just kidding Professor, but Gods, you should have seen the look on your face. I'll have to show Gin the memory when we get home tonight. She'll love it."

Watching her two best friends interact like this with each other, she smiled at how far they had come and just wished Ron could spend time with Severus the way Harry could. She could see Severus' wand hand twitching though after the joke and decided it was best to get out of dodge.

"Ok Harry, you had your fun, now let's leave Severus to his business and go meet Ginny. We must not keep a pregnant witch waiting.

* * *

Ginny had made a reservation at the hottest new restaurant in Diagon Alley, The Copper Cauldron. It was almost impossible to get a reservation, but there were some perks to being the Golden Trio. Ten years post-war, the media had calmed down, and the threesome had grown up and gotten on with their lives as the Wizarding World rebuilt itself. Harry was a senior auror with the Ministry of Magic; Hermione, an unspeakable and Arithmancy Mistress, specialising in potions theory; and Ron working with George at Weasley Wizard Wheezes after dropping out of the auror corp before completing his training. Harry and Ginny bought a large, unplottable home in Godric's Hollow and Hermione had a tiny two bedroom cottage in the Cotswolds that was also unplottable to keep the press away. Ron was the only one who loved the attention, still occasionally speaking to the media at significant events, and living in Fred and George's old flat above the shop so he could enjoy the nightlife of Diagon Alley without having to try to apparate home. He spent many nights with Hermione, but when she pressed him to move in with her or to buy a larger family home, he just rebuffed her. He told her that he didn't want to stay at home all of the time with her books and he wanted to live right in the middle of London, where all of the action was.

When Harry and Hermione arrived at the restaurant, Ginny was waiting for them. "Oh thank Merlin you're both here", the six-months pregnant witch exclaimed, "They wouldn't seat me at our table until at least half our party arrived, and I am dead on my feet!"

"Ron's not here yet?" Asked Hermione.

"No, but they don't close the shop until six, so I'm sure he'll be here soon. Here, come hug me!" Hermione and Ginny laughed as Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny, but was impeded by her growing bump.

"You are glowing Gin! Honestly, I think I'm finally ready for one of my own."

"Are you and Ron thinking about settling down finally then?"

"Well, I'm done thinking. I'm definitely ready. I hope he is too."

Soon the little group was lead to their table, and Harry ordered Hermione's favourite wine at Ginny's insistence. The three were catching up, Harry and Hermione drinking wine, while Ginny sipped her soda water. They talked about work, Jamie, Ginny's hormones, anything, and everything. Hermione had been so focused on her calculations for the new polyjuice potion; she'd hardly seen the Potters or Ron in the last month. Ron would come over a couple of nights a week; they'd have sex and pretty much go straight to bed. In fact, before last night, she realised, Ron hadn't stayed over at the cottage in over a week. She just shrugged at the thought; he knew she was busy with her research, working all hours of the day and night and was giving her space to work. He would stay over again tonight, and now that Severus would be moving on to the brewing stage she'd have a lot more time to devote to her relationship, and hopefully plan a wedding.

She was roused from these thoughts when the waiter arrived wanting to take their orders. As Ron had still not come, Harry asked the waiter to give them five more minutes. When the waiter returned, and there was still no Ron, the three gave their orders. Hermione was starting to twitch with anxiety in her seat. _'Where is Ron?'_ She thought, _'Something urgent must have come up. He wouldn't forget my birthday, and George wouldn't keep him if it weren't important.'_

Finally, Harry stood up and threw his napkin on the table, "I'm going to get him! The shop is just down the street."

"No Harry! It's ok; I'm sure Ron is just running late, why don't we send him a patronus…"

As she spoke, a flash of red hair and magenta was in Hermione's periphery. Just as her face began to morph into a smile and call out to her boyfriend, it crumpled. Walking into the restaurant was Ron, in his magenta work robes with his arm thrown around the shoulder of a shop witch from Madam Malkins. Harry turned around at the sound of his best friend's voice; his eyes glittered with barely concealed rage. The entire restaurant could hear Ronald Weasley arguing with the host, who was trying to explain to Ron that there were no free tables for the evening. "What do you mean there are no free tables? I'm bringing my girl here, and I want a table," Ron yelled, his face turning red with rage. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Ron Weasley, and you'd be bowing down to Lord Voldemort if it wasn't for me!" He said, puffing his chest out.

Harry was appalled at the scene Ron was making. This wasn't what they had fought for, fame, greed, and arrogance. They had fought for love, peace, a future. Clenching his fists, the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice approached his best friend and brother-in-law. "Ron," he seethed, "What are you doing?!"

"Harry!" Ron called. Then realising he had an arm wrapped around a witch who was not Hermione, removed her from his person and stepped up to his best friend. "Erm, what are you doing here? Dump Jamie with Mum so you and Gin could have a night out?"

"No," said Harry, stepping out of the way so Ron could see there table, "We are here celebrating Hermione's birthday. You know her right? Your girlfriend?"

Ron blanched as he looked over at his sister and girlfriend. Hermione's trembling bottom lip was trapped under her teeth, and her eyes were swimming with unshed tears while Ginny had her wand drawn and looked ready to Avada him.

Harry glared at Ron's companion and spat with venom in his voice, "Why don't you go find something else to do tonight. He's coming with me."

The girl's eyes widened with horror as she ran out of the restaurant. "Oy! Don't talk to her like that," Ron cried out as Harry grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him out of the restaurant and onto the street.

"What were you thinking?" Hissed Harry, "No, you weren't thinking at all. Not only are you cheating on Hermione, but you forgot about her birthday dinner, AND you brought the woman you're cheating on her with to the restaurant. I thought you were going to propose!"

"Propose?!" Said Ron, wrenching his arm away from Harry, "What in Merlin's name made you think that?"

"Don't you think its time? You and Hermione have been together for years and years. She's ready to settle down and have some kids. Don't you want to be like Ginny and me?"

Ron snorted, "Yeah, settle down. What the fuck do I want with a couple of kids, a cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Hermione's research and books? Most nights I close up the shop, grab a few pints with the boys from my Quidditch rec league. I see Hermione when she decides to bother to spend time with me and meet my needs, and when she can't, I'll pick up a bird at the pub."

"Wait, this isn't the only girl you've cheated on Hermione with?"

"Right, like she's not banging Snape down in the Department of Mysteries," Ron scoffed, "I know she'd rather spend time with that greasy git than me. I should have left her when she became friends with him.

"Hermione is not sleeping with Severus."

"Could have fooled me. Either that or she's just a frigid b –"

"Finish that sentence, and you'll never fuck another witch again Ronald Weasley." Ron and Harry turned to see a snarling Ginny Potter, wand drawn at her brother while a shocked Hermione stepped from behind her.

"So, that's what you think of me, Ron? I begged you to move in with me. I explained to you after a few months living in the City that the noise made me jumpy and set off my panic attacks from the war. You … you think I'm sleeping with Severus? I would never…" she choked out a strangled sob. "You know what, you're not worth it. I won't beg or plead anymore Ron, and I won't let you humiliate me in public again."

With that Hermione ran down the street to the apparition point. Just as she spun on her heel to return home, she changed her mind at the last minute.

* * *

Severus came home from work and sat down with a tumbler of firewhiskey and a new copy of Potion's Quarterly. He had re-read the first paragraph on an article on extending the useful life of fluxweed four times when he gave it up as a bad job.

He could not get Hermione Granger out of his mind. He kept thinking about how incredible she looked in that little black dress and silver 'fuck-me' heels. When she had fallen into his arms in the floo atrium, he had gotten a whiff of her intoxicating perfume, lavender and amber. He had loved her from a distance for four long years, having discovered his true feelings when he'd been experimenting with amortentia.

 _He thought back to their first year working together. For the first few months, he was professional but cool. She was his former student, the Gryffindor Princess after all. However, she soon wormed her way into his life. First by impressing him with her excellent calculations and work, then by her exuberance and passion for their research. He pinpointed the day she broke the ice around his heart. They had successfully patented their first experimental potion, a nerve restoration balm, to help those who had been tortured during the war. When the patent documents arrived at their shared office, Hermione jumped up and down squealing, the papers in her hand. She looked up at him as he gave her a small smile and she threw the papers onto her desk and ran into her partner's arms, hugging him around the neck. When she realised that she had thrown herself on his person, she blushed and made to move away. Severus had frozen at first but then relaxed, inhaling that intoxicating lavender and amber scent and put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He leaned down, and his lips ghosted the shell of her ear as he whispered, "Congratulations Granger. Here's to the first of many developments."_

 _She let out a throaty laugh, and he swung her around before planting her feet firmly on the ground and letting her go. She looked up at him thoughtfully, still smiling and said, "Call me Mia, sir."_

 _"Mmm?" He asked._

 _"Mia, it's what all of my friends and family outside of the wizarding world call me. Don't tell the boys, but I hate 'Mione. I only let them get away with it."_

 _"Well then, M-Mia," he said, testing out the new name, "call me Severus."_

 _He didn't think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger, but it did. "Ok, Severus! Now, what will our next project be?"_

Severus was suddenly pulled out of his dream at a loud, persistent knocking on his front door.

Severus got up to yell at whichever Muggle neighbour dared disturb him. As he opened the door, he came upon a sad sight. Hermione Granger, her hair falling out of its elegant knot, frizzing into her wild mane, her bloodshot eyes rimmed with mascara as tears tracked and her nose ran. _'Gods, she always is an ugly crier,'_ he thought. Followed by the next, _'I'll kill Weasley for whatever he's done to her.'_

Ushering her into the house, he led her to the couch and sat her down. He kneeled down to face her, wincing as he old knees cracked on the way down. "Mia, darling girl, what happened?"

"Ron … showed up to the restaurant with another girl on his arm," she hiccupped, "He … He forgot about my birthday and tried to get a table with the shopgirl from Madam Malkin's his shagging. He made a scene and … and he never wants to marry me. He thinks I'm either sleeping with you or am nothing but a… but a frigid bitch," she sobbed.

Severus dug his nails into his thighs to keep him from grabbing his wand and apparating away to hex the cretin.

Hermione looked at him, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands and wiping away the tears. "Why doesn't he want me," she whispered, "I stayed in England to give our relationship another chance… I bought a house, got a good job, supported him when he quit the auror program, all to make a better life for us, and it wasn't enough. I wasn't enough for him."

Severus was up in an instant. He sat down next to her on the couch and scooped her up into his arms. He began tracing circles on her back while she recommenced her sobs. He started whispering in her ear, crooning, "You, Hermione Granger, are more than enough. Any wizard or muggle man would consider it a privilege to be with you, to have a family with you."

Hermione scoffed, "Sure, like who? Most of the men I went to school with are married or attached. Neville is with Hannah, Dean and Seamus are together. Even Zacharias Smith is with Tracey Daviss now.

Severus conjured a flannel so she could wash the running mascara off her face. When she banished it, he put his hand under her chin and tilted it upwards to look him in the eye. "I know one wizard who has wanted you for a very long time and would be honoured if you'd even consider him. He would love you and honour you every day for the rest of his life if you'd have him.

Hermione's breath hitched as she gazed into his onyx eyes blazing with fire and passion. "Who?" She asked.

"Me." Then her lips were crashing onto his as if they were sustaining her. Severus kissed her back pouring all of the devotion he had carried in his torch for her for the last four years. He licked the seam of her mouth with his tongue, and her lips parted, granting him admittance. He plunged her mouth, exploring her mouth tenderly.

In an instant, the room was flooded with ethereal silver light, and they pulled away breathlessly. A stag was in front of them and began to speak in Harry's voice. "Hermione. Please respond and tell me you're safe. I went to the cottage, and you're not there. Ginny hexed Ron with a bat-bogey hex, and George heard the commotion in the street and used your jinx to cover his forehead in boils that say CHEATER in bright green. The prat deserves it. Anyway, we are here for you, just let us know you're ok."

Hermione started to giggle at Harry's patronus while Severus let out a loud bark at the image of Ronald Weasley covered in boils, with bats flying out of his nose. He pulled out his ebony wand and conjured his patronus, which had changed, about four years previously, from a doe to a lioness, "Potter, she is at Spinner's End with me, she is safe and well taken care of."

As the lioness sped off to deliver its message, Hermione sat in Severus lap contentedly. Sitting like this, his arms around her, protecting her, snogging her, Hermione saw their entire friendship flash before her eyes. At that moment she realised she didn't love Ron anymore, just the idea she had of their future, a future that had been dead for a long time, probably years.

The person who had always acted like her true partner, shared her passions for her work, the same hobbies, the same jokes. The man she could share anything with openly and freely was the one who was sitting right in front of her. Severus Snape was always the overlooked friend, lurking in the shadows. The strong, silent type who let few in, but loved those he did with an unheard of devotion, and she was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that devotion. She cupped his face in her hands and said: "If you'll have me, Severus, I'm yours."

"Well," said Severus, taking her palm and kissing her knuckles, "thankfully, I am no fool, and I promise to never take this gift you have given me for granted."

"Oh Severus, it is you who have given me the gift of love and friendship these last four years. You are the best gift I could ask for on my birthday."


	2. Chapter 2

Happy Birthday, Dear Severus. Severus Snape is decidedly having the best birthday of his life.

* * *

Severus Snape was, as of two weeks ago, a married man. His courtship of Hermione Granger had not been a long one, but when you'd love a woman every day for four years and were pushing fifty, you didn't feel the need to wait. He proposed on Samhain, and they'd been married on Christmas Eve in a small church service down the street from Hermione's parent's home.

He had vowed to love his wife, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, but he'd also promised, in the quiet stillness of their bedroom late at night, to not plot revenge on her ex, one Ronald Weasley. She'd also forced Harry and Ginevra Potter, and George Weasley to make the same promise. Hermione was still upset that Ron had led her on and cheated on her for nearly five years, but she also wanted to move on and not give into petty urges.

Luckily for Severus, fate was on his side the day of his forty-ninth birthday. Severus was leaving the apothecary in Knockturn Alley, where he sourced his more dubious ingredients for the experimental potions he and Hermione developed in the Department of Mysteries when he spotted a drunk Ronald Weasley stumbling out of a brothel, having clearly in last night's clothes, reeking of sex and spirits.

Severus' lips upturned in a sinister smirk that would have caused some of the most dangerous Death Eaters to piss their trousers. Drawing his wand, he cast a non-verbal obscuro spell, and suddenly a black blindfold appeared over Weasley's red-rimmed blue eyes, causing him to trip and bellow, "Gerroff me! Who's there?" he slurred, attempting to draw his wand. Ripping it out of his robes, the wand flew out of the man child's hand as Severus cast a non-verbal expelliarimus, disarming the oaf.

"Weasley," he murmured in the boy's ear, dragging the boy down a small alleyway.

"Snape!" he spat, "let me go, you greasy, miserable Death Eater. I'll have you dragged in front of the Wizengamot for this."

"You'd have to remember the incident to do that Weasley. Once I'm finished with you, you won't remember a thing. Just that you passed out drunk in the street after a night of debauchery."

"What?" Ron said, fear now colouring his voice, "What are you going to do."

"I'm going to make sure you can't stick your pathetic prick anywhere else Weasley," he sneered. "Languidus aeternum," Snape enchanted the spell that would render Ronald Weasley impotent until the jinx was reversed.

He then stunned the man, removed the blindfold and quickly removed the memory from Weasley's memory with a quick charm. When he woke up in a few hours, Weasley would think he had passed out in the street, and the next time he tried to fuck a witch, he'd be in for a nasty surprise. Severus stood up, straightened his frock coat and raised his wand to call his lioness patronus, "Weasley, I've found your poor excuse for a brother in Knockturn Alley near Mr Mulpepper's."

A minute later, the distinct 'Crack' from apparition could be heard, and George Weasley materialised, "Severus! Did you find Ron here?"

Severus kept his face neutral, "Something like that."

A wry grin spread on George's face, "I don't want the details as long as it's not permanent. You better hope 'Mione doesn't find out or she'll skin you."

"It is not permanent; St. Mungo's could reverse it in a second. As for my wife, as long as you keep quiet, she'll have no cause to know anything," the Dark Man threatened lightly.

"Merlin, she won't hear from me. 'Mione is brilliant but bloody scary."

"Indeed. Well, I did find your brother stumbling out of the brothel, drunk and in last night's clothes, so you should probably take him back to your flat to clean up and sleep it off."

George snorted, "I'm about ready to fire him you know. He hardly shows up to work anymore, or I have to send him away because he's hungover; if only it wouldn't upset Mum. Anyway, I best haul his ass off to bed. Do you have time to stop in and discuss the recipes for the new Wonder Witch line or do you have to get to the Ministry?"

Not wanting to be around in case Ronald woke up, Severus begged off, saying he had been in the Alley for some ingredients for a potion under stasis and needed to get back to it. As Severus walked into the morning light of Diagon Alley, he still could not believe the changes that life had brought about in the last few months. Not only was he married to the witch of his dreams, but he was friends with all of the Weasleys, except Ron, now.

He was most surprised to have struck up a good friendship and working relationship with George Weasley, his erstwhile annoying pupil. He learned from Hermione and Harry that George had not developed a single new potion for Weasley Wizard Wheezes in the last ten years. While a competent brewer, George had a flair for developing charms, while Fred had developed the potions. One Sunday at the Burrow, Severus was enough in his cups actually to offer his services to George. Severus developed the recipes and calculations, while George and his team could brew the final product. Severus received 25% of the profit. George was also surprised to learn that Severus had played Beater for Slytherin during his time at Hogwarts, which meant that at when Hermione and Severus were invited for dinner, George no longer had to play the position alone, since none of his brothers would dare take up Fred's spot.

Severus was grateful for the Weasleys and their kindness, not for himself necessarily, but for Hermione's sake. She had been terrified that with the dissolution of her relationship with Ronald that she would be forced to cut all ties with her beloved adopted family. Instead, Molly Weasley had been furious with her youngest son, and she always made sure to invite the Snape's when Ron was not allowed, typically alternating their attendance at family meals.

When Severus arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, he pulled some floo powder out of his coat pocket and threw it into the fireplace calling out "Ministry of Magic."

Arriving in the atrium, he skipped the lifts, opting to take the stairs down to Level Nine – The Department of Mysteries. Striding into their shared laboratory, Severus found his wife gazing up at a complex web of Arithmancy matrices while chewing on an eagle feather quill. Her fair was fixed on top of her head, wispy tendrils falling, framing her face, with her wand shoved in the knot. She had a look of intense concentration as her eyes flitted from the matrices to the equations she scribbled on sheets of parchment on her desk.

She never looked more beautiful to him than in times like this. So intensely focused on her work, eyes bright with knowledge and the hope of discovery, completely oblivious to the world around her. It was a testament to ten years of peace that she could lose herself in work and let her guard down like this now. He knew that had not always been the case for her.

She finally noticed his return when he walked behind her, arms flitting up her biceps as he placed a light kiss on her temple. Hermione hummed in satisfaction and leaned into his chest. "Did you get the ingredients you needed for the Polyjuice?"

"Yes, and I'm determined to finish the damn thing today finally! A Birthday Present to myself for finally getting Potter off my back about 24-hour Polyjuice potion."

"If you complete the potion before the baby is born, he may make good on his threat to name him after you."

Severus groaned, "Don't remind me."

"Mmmm, if you do finish the potion, maybe don't tell Harry right away. Ginny's due in two weeks."

Severus started trailing kisses down her long neck, nibbling and sucking, causing her to moan, "The ingredients will keep under stasis. Maybe I should give myself a different birthday present."

Hermione turned in his arms as he continued his ministrations, "Severus! We're at work!"

"So," he drawled, "no one ever comes down here because they're all so afraid of me, and I can ward the door."

"Oh alright, fine," she acquiesced, "but only because it's your birthday. Be quick."

"Quick?! Witch, you don't tell a master how to paint his masterpiece!"

"Yes, well I have a meeting upstairs in an hour," she snorted.

"Then I have 55 minutes to see how many times I can make you scream my name," Severus said, lifting Hermione onto her worktop and hiking her robes up to her hips before lowering his head and kissing the inside of her thighs."

An hour later, Hermione was pulling down her robes after casting a light cleansing charm. Re-doing her hair knot on the top of her head, she gave Severus a searing kiss. "I don't know if I'll be back down today. I think this meeting is going to take all day. Don't forget that Molly has insisted on hosting a small birthday dinner for you. I've set the alarm for quarter to 6."

With a final kiss, Hermione sashayed out of the lab, smirking knowing her husband was most definitely staring.

Severus, could not believe the day he was having. So far, this had been the best birthday of his life, and it wasn't even noon. Lightly humming to himself, he retrieved his potions ingredients and moved to his cauldron, removing the stasis charm to continue Attempt #4 of his 24-hour Polyjuice Potion.

At half six, Severus was bottling the potion and cleaning his workspace. He was confident that this brew was the one. Attempt #1 had been dormant, not allowing for any transformation; Attempt #2 was considered a success, having extended the life of the potion by 6 hours; Attempt #3 had melted a very expensive copper cauldron. Now with this Attempt, he reverted to pewter and added powdered griffin claw and Ptolemy.

Casting a tempus charm, he knew he had a couple of minutes to spare before he had to leave for the Burrow. He would have to wait and test the potion tomorrow. Maybe he'd have some fun and steal a hair from Bill Weasley if he was at dinner tonight.

A quick freshening charm to relieve himself of the smell of potions fumes and remove some of the greasiness in his hair, Severus walked the nine flights to the main level and flooed to the Burrow.

"Severus!" Molly called out, rushing over to him and hugging him as if she had not seen him in years, as opposed to two weeks ago at his wedding. "You're early! Only Ginny, Fleur and the children are here so far. I've made all your favourites, roast, and lots of Yorkshire puddings with gravy…"

"Just wait until you see the cake Professor, the house may burn down with the number of candles she's piled on there."

Pulling himself out of Molly Weasley's firm grip, Severus looked up to see a smirking Ginny Weasley standing in the doorway, trying to hold the child who was wriggling like a niffler in Gringotts.

Arching an eyebrow, Severus just said: "Thank you for reminding me just how old I am Ginevra."

"You've been a grouchy old man for years' sir; your age is just starting to catch up to your personality."

The pair let out loud laughs as the Niffler/little boy wriggled free from his mother's arms.

"Uncle Sev'rus!" James Sirius Potter screamed running for the man's legs, "Happy Birfday!"

Scooping the boy up and bopping him on the nose, Severus said: "Thank you, James."

Holding the boy who called him 'Uncle', Severus wondered what the Marauders would think of his close relationship with their namesake, before feeling a twinge of guilt that his childhood nemesis would never know the special little boy in his arms.

Following the Weasley women into the kitchen, Severus was shocked to see himself in the miniature sitting at the kitchen table next to the eldest Weasley grandchild, Victoire Weasley. "Edward," Severus drawled at 10-year-old Teddy Lupin, "Only nine months until Hogwarts young man."

"Yes sir!" a little voice that sounded so odd in his reflection piped up.

"Promise me that you will impersonate me at least once in front of Headmistress McGonagall."

"Yes, sir!"

"Now, have I ever told you about the time your father taught at Hogwarts?" Severus said, feeling another twinge of guilt, "In your Uncle Harry's third year, he was teaching the class about boggarts. One student said that his boggart would be me. I used to be a very strict and scary teacher. So, your father had him shove me into a vile emerald green dress, a hat with a stuffed vulture, a fox scarf and a red handbag."

Teddy was laughing so hard at the image he lost control of the transformation and returned to his normal blue hair, and eyes and a round face that matched his fathers at that age. While the inhabitants of the kitchen continued to laugh at the image of Severus Snape wearing old Augusta Longbottom's clothes, Harry, Hermione and Arthur walked into the room with bemused looks on their faces.

Walking up to her husband and placing a kiss to his cheek Hermione inquired what was so funny.

"Uncle Severus told me about the boggart in my Da's class."

Harry started laughing, remembering the sight while Hermione had a smile on her lips, "What brought that on?" she asked the room.

Having gotten control of his laughter, Teddy morphed back into 'Mini-Snape'.

"Blimey!" Harry yelled, "that's bloody frightening!"

Just then, George and Bill walked in, curious about the noise. One look at Teddy and the laughed started all over again, "That's a great party trick Teddy," George chortled ruffling his hair. Teddy scowled at the red-head, and that just made everyone laugh louder, except Harry who moaned, "Just transform back Teddy, Please!"

Dinner was excellent as anything Molly Weasley created was, and after the black forest cake (his favourite), piled high with forty-nine candles, that made Ginny and George jokingly cast aguamenti charms at him so his hair wouldn't catch on fire, was eaten, there were some small gifts to open. Jamie drew a picture of him on his Uncle Sev'rus' lap, reading a book together; George gave him a new beaters bat; the Potter's gave him a block of his favourite dark chocolate from Honeydukes; Bill and Fleur a new tome on curse breaking; and Arthur and Molly a knitted forest green scarf that matched the socks he'd received for Christmas.

After the gifts and displays of affection, even the cold, stoic, surly Potions Master was feeling a little emotional. The last four months with Hermione had brought so many wonderful people into his life, so much love and happiness. To think, if Ron Weasley hadn't been such a buffoon on Hermione's birthday, he would still be living a lonely existence, pining over the woman who was now his wife, soaking in the precious time she was able to give to him. Looking around the room, his eyes finally laid on his wife's as she took her hand in his under the table.

"One more gift love," she murmured, producing a small, black, rectangular box with a silver bow on top.

Untying the ribbon, and lifting the lid from the box, Severus found a small ruby red garment. Holding it up his eyes widened in awe as he held a small baby jumper that read "Future Gryffindor Beater."

His jaw dropped at the same moment the jumper fell from his hands, and he looked towards Hermione in wonder. "Truly? You are with child?" Hermione nodded, the smile on her face so wide, beaming with happiness. Severus jumped from his seat, pulling her to him, kissing her soundly before twirling her around the kitchen smiling. The sounds of the other reactions completely missed by him as he focused on his wife, who was pregnant with his child. He, Severus Snape would be a father, something he never thought would happen.

"You're happy Sev? Truly?"

"Oh Mia," he murmured, "You have made this grumpy old git the happiest man alive."

As he put her down, Severus looked at George and Harry, holding up the jumper, grinning.

Scowling, Severus summoned the jumper from them and charmed it emerald green to read "Future Slytherin Beater" before wrapping it back up in the box and kissing his wife on the top of her head. It truly was the best birthday.


End file.
